The holidays may still be a few months off, but Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Heroes and their families got into the spirit early last week during a tour of Empire Screen Printing in Onalaska. What got the children excited was seeing what they created – holiday cards featuring their original work – rolling of the presses at blistering speeds.
These cards have become an annual tradition for CMNH, and thanks to the organization’s partnership with Empire, it’s been able to raise thousands of dollars over the course of 36 years to help provide families a financial boost during difficult health journeys.
According to Jennifer Schloesser, creative director at Empire, the company has been printing cards at no cost to CMNH since 1987. It was a desire of Empire founder Jim Brush, who had a goal of giving back to the community – and particularly children – through his business. Brush passed away last November, but his legacy is living on through the partnership with CMNH.
“We’re happy to be a part of the growth of Children’s Miracle Network and giving back to it,” Schloesser said.
The company started more than three decades ago by printing one card, but over the past several years, they’ve put each Hero’s card on paper. That allows each child’s creativity to be in the spotlight.
“Each year, we ask the Heroes to design a holiday card for us,” said CMNH specialist Beth Noffsinger. “We give them the basic idea of a snowflake or snowperson, but what they want to do with it is up to them.”
Charlie Steiger is a Hero from Viola, Wis. He has a passion for dinosaurs, so when it came to designing his card, there was little doubt he’d find a way to work one into his picture.
“Why dinosaurs? I love dinosaurs, and this is the specific reason: they’re so unique,” said Charlie, who has even been on a dinosaur bone dig in Utah. “There’s 300 different species and even more subspecies of dinosaurs.”
That morning, Empire sent the kids home with uncut sheets of their holiday cards, as well as other screen-printed pictures and stickers. As a token of his appreciation, Charlie wants to give the employees at Empire something in return.
“That’s why he was asking for paper (on the tour),” his dad, Jacob, said. “He said he’d like to do something very nice for them for what they did, so I said I’d get him a pad of paper. He wants to write them a nice letter and do a picture.”
Diane Larson of Houston, Minn., who, along with her husband, Jason, was there with her daughter and Hero Amanda, said it was interesting watching the cards being printed and getting to know the manufacturing process.
“I think Amanda enjoyed seeing her card get printed. She was really excited during that process,” Larson said.
Amanda’s card featured a wintertime hallmark: a snowman. However, the bright shining star in the sky held a personal meaning.
“The star in Heaven reminded us of her brother who is in Heaven,” she said. “We wanted him looking down and enjoying this whole process. It would’ve been great if he could’ve been here to experience it, too.”
Larson said the family’s involvement in CMNH has been a rewarding one. The help they received assisted them during a tough time, and now that Amanda is a Hero, they’re able to share their story in hopes of garnering support for the program that’s meant so much to them.
“Giving back is really inspiring for us. We like to give back, and we want to share our story because we have a lot to say about our experience with Children’s Miracle Network and our experience with Gundersen,” she said. “They’ve helped us a lot over the years.”
The holiday cards come in packs of 20 for $10, and they can be purchased at several Gundersen pharmacies, including those in the Onalaska Clinic and the main campus in La Crosse, as well as the Gundersen Medical Foundation office in downtown La Crosse and the gift shop in the La Crosse Hospital. A limited number of packs will be available at Radiothon at the La Crosse clinic on Oct. 12-13. You may also contact the Foundation to have cards shipped for a flat $5 fee.
For more information, call the Foundation at (608) 775-4424, email [email protected], or stop by the office at 201 Third St. N. in La Crosse.